Really sad to hear this jordans king is a great person im not muslim but he shows that there are peaceful honorable muslims in the world i totally respect him he is a great leader i watched him on talk show and was amazed at his calmness very down to earth easy going

It is unfortunate, but Jordan is one of the freest countries in the Middle East (unless you are a Jew in Israel). Honestly, the only hope for peace in the Middle East is Jordan, Morocco, and Turkey (maybe UAE and Qatar).

Quoting: Anonymous Coward 25994199

Do you really think Qatar & UAE are anywhere close to free?

Their populations are paid off, but not free...

But you're right about some of the monarchies being freer than the other Arab countries....

BUT that's not a very high standard to meet....

Which country is more free, North Korea or KSA? As a woman, I might chose North Korea....But then again....

KSA has a lot more shopping freedom...and the freedom to eat when you are hungry...

As of this writing, protesters are amassing in Amman, the capital, in a demonstration that was initially sparked by cuts to fuel subsidies but have come to more directly address the country’s governing system, including King Abdullah himself. For the moment, you can watch a video stream here.

Local media report protests in several other Jordanian cities. Demonstrations in the country’s south have “become commonplace over the past year,” George Washington University Professor Marc Lynch said, pointing to this article on “tribal dissent” in the kingdom.

Not trying to be 'hell' bent, but with their lifestyles, they are outside working/hanging out in the markets, driving taxis all day long. Most of the students are inside and come out at night, but they already have limited electricity so, it could be because they aren't at work or school for their get together schedule.

Quoting: pool

They don't take siestas like Spain? It's in the Sunnah that they are supposed to take a nap...?

Quoting: DarbyDoom

No.

The Arab world, for the most part, are night owls. It's partly because of the climate, but also because most men work two jobs (a day job and a night job). The region doesn't function on a 9 - 5 schedule at all.

It is unfortunate, but Jordan is one of the freest countries in the Middle East (unless you are a Jew in Israel). Honestly, the only hope for peace in the Middle East is Jordan, Morocco, and Turkey (maybe UAE and Qatar).

Quoting: Anonymous Coward 25994199

Do you really think Qatar & UAE are anywhere close to free?

Their populations are paid off, but not free...

But you're right about some of the monarchies being freer than the other Arab countries....

BUT that's not a very high standard to meet....

Which country is more free, North Korea or KSA? As a woman, I might chose North Korea....But then again....

KSA has a lot more shopping freedom...and the freedom to eat when you are hungry...

The blue-eyed king and beautiful queen of Jordan are facing the biggest crisis of their reign. On Tuesday night, riots and protests broke out in many of the country’s cities. Some in the crowd shouted “the people want the fall of the regime.” Others burned the monarch’s portrait. One longtime supporter of the royals even suggested privately “it’s not a question of if, but when” King Abdullah’s rule will end. That may well be an overstatement. The protests only included a few thousand people all told. But the pressures for truly major political reforms are mounting. ...

In the past, protests often focused on Queen Rania, a brilliant and beautiful woman commonly seen as a power behind the throne. ... King Abdullah, having failed to defend his prime ministers and turned on successive spymasters, did little to protect his wife’s reputation. But as she adopted a much lower profile, Abdullah’s prestige did not rise. Instead, discontent focused on the king. Now the monarch himself is increasingly alone before the people, and reliant more than ever before on foreign support.

The money Jordan’s government once received from the Gulf monarchies has grown increasingly scarce... So American support for the Hashemite monarch is more important than ever. Abdullah has promised political reforms, not least, to shore up support in Washington...

In Jordan, as in Egypt and many other Arab countries, the Muslim Brotherhood is a strong political force, and its members may be encouraging the current unrest. But the bedrock problem is economic. The financial demands on Jordan just keep growing. To maintain a vital agreement for support from the International Monetary Fund, Jordan must pare back its hugely expensive government subsidies for basic goods. But those make the difference for many Jordanians between hovering above the poverty line and sinking below it.

The news sparked protests in the capital, Amman, and at least 12 other cities across Jordan.

“Revolution, revolution, it is a popular revolution,” chanted about 2,000 protesters in an impromptu demonstration at a main Amman square, housing the Interior Ministry and other vital government departments.

The protesters — affiliated with Muslim, Arab nationalist, Marxist, Communist and youth opposition groups — also targeted Abdullah in a rare public display against the monarch. Criticizing the king in public is forbidden in Jordan and is punishable by up to three years in jail.

The United States' embassy in Amman issues a warning to American citizens in Jordan in light of recent protests over a massive increase in fuel prices.

After protesters and police force clashes, the embassy cautioned American citizens to steer clear of actual and possible protest sites, such as police stations and government buildings....

On Wednesday 14 November, protesters attacked a police station, leaving 14 people wounded, 10 of which were policemen. In other locations, such as Prime Minister Abdullah Nsur's home, police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse demonstrators.

Violent demonstrations broke out across the rest of the country Wednesday as well, hitting all 12 of Jordan's governorates, police said. Protesters burned tires to block traffic, torched police and private cars and at least 20 government offices, including court buildings. Police said at least 120 people were arrested nationwide.

In the northwestern city of Salt, tens of protesters unsuccessfully tried storm the residence of the Jordanian prime minister, while in the southern city of Maan, demonstrators fired in the air to force riot police out of town, wounding one officer, police said in a statement.

Some 2,000 protesters in the city of Karak shouted "Down, down with you, Abullah," and "Get out and leave us alone" as they marched through the town, shattering shop windows, eyewitnesses and police said.

The leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, Jordan's most powerful opposition group, called the protests "a wakeup call to the king to avoid a replica of the violence in Egypt and Tunisia."

Twitter reports that people are dying in Jordan...Trying to get details....

Quoting: DarbyDoom

Quoting: insertfunnyusername

I can't confirm any of the "people are dying" tweets...

None of the tweets are coming from people I follow....

I am glad you are in safe place in Greece.... Scary everywhere...

Quoting: DarbyDoom

Thnx for thoughts. Things are getting scary indeed. :(

Everything starts with twitter as we've seen from other recent "revolutions" too. Can't find the link of a great research of a guy who discovered that thousand of the tweets from Syria were bots with different names.

Security forces battled demonstrators armed with torches and in some cases firearms in a number of violent clashes across Jordan on Wednesday, as protests over rising fuel prices entered a second day.

At least 14 people were reported injured and 35 protesters were arrested during two days of scattered melees that included assaults on government buildings and the torching of cars and gas stations....

After a night of rioting across multiple cities, protesters on Wednesday set fire to police kiosks and government facilities in several southern towns as public anger continued to simmer over a government decision to eliminate fuel subsidies. Riot police fired tear gas at 200 protesters in the southern city of Karak after the group attempted to torch the regional governor’s mansion, while public buildings came under attack in the Red Sea port of Aqaba and two other towns, security officials said.

In Maan, 150 miles south of the capital, Amman, protesters armed with assault rifles stormed a government building after noon prayers, firing shots and wounding police officers who tried to block them, the officials said...

“This was not spontaneous,” said a government security official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal assessments of the protests. “The Muslim Brotherhood had a plan, and they were well-organized. For them, it is a gift from heaven.”

The leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, Jordan's most powerful opposition group, called the protests "a wakeup call to the king to avoid a replica of the violence in Egypt and Tunisia."

"The street is seething with anger and an explosion is coming," Zaki Bani Irsheid said. "We want to create a Jordanian Spring with a local flavor — meaning reforms in the system while keeping our protests peaceful."

The Brotherhood, which has spearheaded the protest movement in the past, has harnessed anger over the price hikes to form a loose — and temporary — alliance with Arab nationalists, Marxist and Communist groups. The umbrella recently has expanded to include the militant Salafis and the largely secular protest movement, known as Hirak composed primarily of young people.

In Amman, around 500 demonstrators clashed with anti-riot police and hurled stones at them after they were prevented from holding a sit-in near the interior ministry on Gamal Abdel Nasser Circle.

They set tyres and garbage containers ablaze and tried to block the main road between there and nearby Firas Circle in Jabal Hussein neighbourhood, but police prevented them and fired tear gas, an AFP journalist reported.

"Jabal Hussein is a popular shopping area. Now all shops are closed. It has turned into a ghost town," a resident told AFP.

Violent demonstrations broke out across the rest of the country as well, hitting all 12 of Jordan's governorates, police said.

Protesters burned tyres to block traffic, torched police and private cars and at least 20 government offices, including court buildings. Police said at least 120 people were arrested nationwide.

A "gunman" was killed early Thursday and 12 Jordanian policemen were wounded after their station came under attack in the north amid a wave of angry protests across the country over a huge rise in fuel prices.

"Twelve policemen were injured when a group of gunmen attacked a police station in Irbid. One of the gunmen died in a shootout, while four others were wounded," said a police statement carried by state-run Petra news agency...

The statement said that in a separate attack in Shafa Badran, near Amman, "gunmen, using automatic weapons, shot and injured a policeman, directly hitting one of his eyes. He is in a critical condition."

The demonstrations were the most aggressive in this politically fragile and strategically critical ally of the United States in the past two years, particularly outside the capital, where many protesters shouted slogans against King Abdullah II that previously would only have been whispered. Teachers went on strike, and other unions announced a two-hour work stoppage for Sunday. The crowds included first-time protesters and tribal members who have been the king’s political base.

Thousands of demonstrators in Amman made unprecedented calls on Friday for Jordanian King Abdullah II to go, as police blocked them from heading to the royal palace to vent their anger over sharp hikes in fuel prices.

"The people want to reform the regime. Freedom, freedom, down with Abdullah. God is greater than injustice. Freedom is from God. Abdullah your era is gone," chanted what AFP estimated at more than 10,000 people, including Islamists, leftists and youth groups.